X-FAB Silicon Foundries (“X-FAB”), a globally recognized leader in analog/mixed-signal semiconductor foundries, today announced the release of four new high-performance photodiodes on its 180nm CMOS process platform, XS018, which is specially optimized for optical sensor applications. This addition expands the options available for photodetectors and strengthens X-FAB's already extensive product portfolio.
The new product lineup includes two high-sensitivity photodiodes, doafe and dobfpe, which enhance responsiveness across UV, visible, and IR wavelengths, and two UV-specific photodiodes, dosuv and dosuvr. The doafe is a full-spectrum sensor with peak sensitivity at ~730nm and a spectral responsivity of 0.48 A/W, showing a 15% sensitivity boost and over 50% improvement in response uniformity over its predecessor. These upgrades benefit applications such as smoke detection, position sensing, and spectrometry.
Unlike the doafe, the dobfpe photodiode is particularly optimized for red and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, with peak sensitivity at approximately 770nm. This series is insensitive to UV and blue light, offering a distinct spectral response with a peak in the IR range, making it ideal for proximity sensing applications. The new dobfpe model also boosts IR sensitivity by roughly 25% compared to X-FAB’s previous dob device series, particularly beneficial as sensors are increasingly placed under glass panels, where improved performance and higher sensitivity in proximity sensing are crucial.
Expanding its photodiode product variety, X-FAB also introduced the dosuv, a new advanced ultraviolet photodiode optimized for UVC (200nm to 280nm) sensitivity. The dosuv exhibits nearly double the performance of previous products at a wavelength of 260nm, achieving a spectral responsivity of up to 0.16 A/W at 235nm. Additionally, a reference device, dosuvr, is available to facilitate sensor development using the dosuv model.
All of these new photodiode devices maintain similar fill factors and photocurrent levels to their predecessors while reducing the required chip area by approximately 20%, making integration easier. Their low dark current ensures excellent signal integrity, and the products support an operating temperature range from -40°C to 175°C.
Heming Wei, X-FAB's Photonics Market Manager, noted, “These latest photodiodes bring outstanding performance, offering upgrades equivalent to what one would expect from transitioning to smaller process nodes. This highlights the exceptional capabilities of our XS018 platform in creating photonic sensors that outperform competitors in terms of both performance and reliability.”
Simulation models for each of the new photodiodes are now available, allowing customers to evaluate expected electrical and optical behavior.
